.o0o.
Daniel, Duke of Norwich, watched his mother leave then turned to the woman next to him. His wife, he reminded himself. How had this happened?
She was so beautiful. A sweet combination of innocence and strength. A kind heart and an intelligent mind. Everything he could have hoped for. Yet, even now, he doubted the sanity of his plan.
He had never planned to marry, he reminded himself. The thought of tying himself to one woman had always seemed so preposterous. So, Why this woman? Why now? He could have stopped it. In actuality, he could have ridden out the scandal. He was a duke after all. Yet he hadn’t. After all, if Prinny could survive after all of his indiscretions, then surely he could. Yet he had chosen otherwise. Why?
The woman deserved better, he realized. This life of constant scrutiny, a dozen silly responsibilities. No, Ann would have preferred a quiet life in the country, surrounded by a dozen children and a man she loved.
Not this circus. Not this silly life filled with nothing but pointless obligations.
And now, the moment of truth had arrived. The moment when they truly became man and wife. What did she think about it? Was she nervous? Hopeful? Afraid? It was wrong that he didn’t know her well enough to know her thoughts.
One more reason to despise his world and all of its silly rules.
Should he postpone the inevitable? Wait? No, it was their duty to consummate the marriage. Of course, there were no better ways to meet’s one’s responsibility he thought with an inward smile.
“Perhaps we should go up,” he said as he indicated the stairs. “I do hate a cold bath.”
Her face instantly drained of color then almost immediately flushed a full red. Very well, she was filled with terror. How could she not be, this was a woman who had only received her first kiss a few days earlier. Of course, she was frightened.
Normally, such innocence would have been troublesome. Yet, for some unknown reason, the thought pleased him. This was his woman, and he would be the only man she ever took to her bed. A sense of rightness made him smile reassuringly to her.
“We will take things slow, I promise, I will not ask anything of you that you are not prepared to give freely.”
Her eyes opened even more at his words. Was she surprised that he could be understanding? Or was she simply surprised that he had broached such a sensitive subject at all?
She stared at him for a long moment then took a deep breath before nodding.
“A bath would be nice.”
He found himself smiling as he placed a hand on her lower back and started to guide her up the stairs.
“It seems strange, to have a bath and not have carried the water from the well.”
He laughed, “I am sure you will find many things that are strange. But always remember. Strange is not necessarily better.”
She glanced up at him, “Said by a man who never had to carry water from a well.”
He laughed again and felt a rightness settle over him. He hoped she would treat him this way always. The truth, poking at his sanctimonious self.
As they turned onto the landing, he felt her body shiver as her steps faltered just slightly. Oh, what a brave face she is putting on this. She is terrified, but refuses to let it show. Frightened to her very soul but facing her future squarely.
A man could come to admire such bravery.
How would the night go? he wondered. How did a man seduce his own wife? How did he flirt when they both knew where the night was bound? How did he conduct the thrust and parry trying to convince a woman to submit when she had already submitted?
There was no such need at this moment. Not technically. He was her husband, he need simply demand. Of course, he would never, but it underlay everything.
A new experience, he realized. He must not only think of tonight but of the rest of their lives together. Each day from this point forward.
Sighing heavily, he stopped before his rooms and turned to her. Looking down into her eyes he studied her, searching for the true woman.
“Ann, …” he began.
Her eyes grew big as she unknowingly ran her tongue over her lips, sending a wild burning desire through him. That look of purity mixed with desire was enough to tell him all he needed to know. She wanted him as much as he wanted her. Granted, it was at the animalistic level. But it was more than enough.
“You are beautiful,” he said as he brought his hands to her shoulders then leaned down to kiss her.
She returned his kiss hesitantly at first then slowly warmed to it. Caressing, searching.
Then, without warning the door to his room was pulled open. Both of them broke off immediately.
Daniel took a deep breath to orient himself then turned to see his valet, Watson, standing there, surprised to find them just outside the door.
“Watson,” Daniel said, “May I introduce Her Grace, the Duchess of Norwich. Dear, my valet Watson.”
The servant bowed at the waist. “Welcome, Your Grace,” he said. “Your maid is waiting for you in your rooms.”
Ann swallowed hard and nodded her thanks.
“I will not need your assistance,” Daniel told him. The valet looked surprised for a moment then a sense of awareness came over him and he smiled slightly.
“Of course, Your Grace,” he said as he stepped around them and made his way down the hall.
Ann watched him go then turned back to him, “He didn’t seem surprised about me.”
Daniel laughed. “There are no secrets in a house such as this.”
Her cheeks grew pink as she obviously thought about what lay before them.
“Come,” he said as he took her hand. “I will show you your quarters. We can reach them through my room.”
She froze for a second then nodded slightly. But the look of pure terror had returned to her eyes.
Chapter Fifteen
Ann gulped, His room was large and very masculine. Wood panels, a large fireplace, and an even larger four poster bed centered on the far wall. Her heart stopped for a second as she froze once again, unable to pull her eyes away.
Oh, why was she being such a ninny? Men and women had been sharing beds forever. Why did it send a bolt of fear through her?
Because it was him. The Duke of Norwich who would be in that bed with her.
The thought troubled her very soul. Yet filled her with a sense of anticipation and the slightest hope.
“This way,” he said as he took her hand and led her to an adjoining door. “These are your quarters.”
Once again, her heart stopped. Pretty wallpaper with ribbons of printed green ivy. Two large windows capturing the evening’s approach. In the middle of the room, a steaming bath and a young maid standing ready.
The young girl dressed in gray cotton and a starched cap dropped into a deep curtsey.
“Welcome, Your Grace,” she said. “Mr. Stevenson said I was to be your lady’s maid.”
Ann studied her for a long second then smiled. The girl looked frightened. Frightened of her. How ridiculous.
“Thank you,” she told the maid. A sudden disconcertment came over her. What else was she supposed to say? People bowing and curtseying to her seemed so strange. As if she was a person of importance. Again, how ridiculous.
“I will leave you,” the Duke said as he brushed a finger down her arm.
Her heart lurched. His touch sent a burst of energy through her making her skin tingle. She looked up at him and nodded slightly. He was leaving so that he might prepare himself for their night together.
Once again, she felt her cheeks grow warm as the two of them looked into each other’s eyes. Oh, how she wished he loved her. For some reason, it would have made their wedding night so much more acceptable.
Instead, it felt formal. A transaction between strangers. An intimate, embarrassing transaction. An unfair arrangement in her mind.
At last, he broke the look and turned to leave. Ann sighed heavily and then turned back to her maid, smiling, trying to put on a br
ave face.
What now? she wondered. She had been a small child the last time someone helped her bathe, it seemed silly, but the young maid seemed so enthusiastic.
“If the water is too cool, Ma’am, I will have them bring more.”
Ann almost laughed, “I am sure it will be fine.”
The bath itself was huge. High sided. It was so much fancier than the large washing tub she was used to. She would actually be able to sit down and put her feet out fully. What decadence.
And then what? she wondered. Once she was done, what then?
“Would you like help with your dress, Ma’am?”
Ann took a deep breath and nodded, she could not put this off any longer.
Of course, once she was settled in the bath and Margaret was washing her hair, she fell in love with being a duchess. A woman could grow to get used to this, she thought with a secret smile.
But of course, all wonderful things must come to an end. At least in her world, they did. When her hair had been dried and brushed to a fine luster. She rose from her chair and told Margaret, “Thank you.”
The longer she put this off the worse it would get. A fear was always like that, she had discovered. The more you avoided an issue the more control you gave it.
The maid smiled and curtsied as she stepped back.
“Should I have them come remove the bath now Your Grace, or tomorrow morning?”
Ann felt her brow furrow in confusion. Why would they wait until the morning, then the realization hit her? The maid was offering her privacy. She was asking if she wanted a dozen men traipsing through her quarters while she was in the next room making love to her husband.
Her cheeks flushed with heat as she shook her head, “No, tomorrow, I should think.”
Margaret didn’t laugh or smile, instead, she simply gathered up the towels and curtsied before leaving.
Ann’s stomach tightened as she realized that the moment she had been dreading had finally arrived. Looking down at herself she ran a hand over her nightgown. Aunt Ester had insisted she make a new one.
White cotton, it seemed rather plain to her, but then that was the only material she could obtain in the village. And all of their lace had been used on her sister’s gowns.
What would he think? There was but one way to find out, she thought as she reached for the door leading into his room.
As she started to twist the knob, her hand froze. Her heart was racing and her breath felt labored. It was so important that he not be disappointed, she reminded herself. She must not be a ninny. She must be a woman, a willing partner. If they were to have any hope, It must begin tonight.
Of course, there was a separate part of her that wanted to flee. The man would control her heart along with her body. And it was the danger to her heart she feared so much more.
At last, she steadied her nerves and opened the door to find the Duke sitting before the fire with a book in his lap.
He looked up as she came in and smiled. Then slowly, his eyes traveled over her body and the smile slowly fell away to be replaced with a predatory look of need. As if he wanted to consume her.
She had seen that same look in Daniel’s eyes. Fleeting moments, the way a man looks at a woman he wants. A surge of happiness filled her to realize that a part of Daniel was inside this man. It hadn’t all been a ruse.
Standing, he tossed the book onto his chair and stepped towards her.
Ann started to take a step back. The man was intimidating. Large, powerful. Dressed in a red and gold brocade robe, The epitome of British Nobility.
He continued to stare into her eyes as he approached. Holding her stare, refusing to let her look away.
Reaching past her, he shut her door and turned the key, locking her in the room with him.
Ann gulped, still unable to pull her eyes away from him.
He smiled slightly as he gently touched her shoulder. Oh, how she wished he would tell her he loved her. Even if it were a lie, it would make things go so much easier. But of course, there would be no such declaration.
Instead, they would be strangers.
But, before she could wallow in her disappointment, he leaned down and kissed her and she was lost. It was a kiss filled with need and promise. A kiss that took her back to that magical moment in the garden.
She felt herself melt into him as a soft moan escaped from the back of her throat.
“Do you trust me?” he asked as he pulled back to look directly into her eyes.
All she could do was nod. It was true she realized, she did trust him. The thought surprised her. Only that morning, she had been upset about his deception. Yet, now, here in this room. She trusted him. At least at this moment.
He smiled slightly, she was positive the man was reading her thoughts but still, she could not pull away.
Slowly, his hands reached behind her neck and undid the knot.
Her heart skipped at his touch as a bewilderment filled her. He wanted to remove her nightgown. Was this how it was done? She had always assumed they would get into bed, extinguish all the candles and she would simply lay there until it was over.
Instead, a nervous excitement was beginning to build inside of her. A need was growing that was like nothing she had ever known before.
When he was done with the knot, he froze for a second, his eyes questioning her.
She swallowed hard before she hesitantly nodded.
He smiled then pushed the gown off her shoulders and let it fall.
Her entire being froze in fear and embarrassment as she stood before him fully naked. Without thought, her hands jumped to cover her breasts and her sex.
He didn’t laugh at her silliness. Instead, he gently pushed her hands to her side so that he could observe her. All of her.
“You are so beautiful,” he said as that hungry look returned to his eyes. It was a look that reassured her. He liked what he saw. He wanted what he saw.
She bit the inside of her cheek, unable to hold his stare. She was exposed, vulnerable, yet a sense of power filled her. At least as long as she didn’t have to look into his eyes. If she did, she would be lost.
“God woman, you are perfect.”
She smiled softly until he pulled the belt at his robe and let it slide to the ground.
She gasped. He too was naked, and every fear was heightened. His broad chest and wide shoulders reminded her of seeing him without his shirt in the orchard. But now, there was so much more. As her eyes traveled down his chiseled form her eyes came to what she truly wished to see.
My God. He would never fit.
Her eyes could not look away from his manhood. Large, strong, demanding. It was so much more than she had ever anticipated.
He watched her study him and smiled.
“Come,” he said as he took her hand and led her to the bed. She swallowed hard and allowed herself to be guided. With each step, her heart lurched with both fear and excitement. She was to finally learn all the secrets women kept from young girls.
Would there be pain? Would there be pleasure?
When they reached the bed he pulled the covers back then turned to her, locking her eyes with his. He reached up to cup the back of her neck as he brought his lips down to hers. Kissing her into oblivion. Silently demanding submission.
Careful, she thought or she would surrender her very soul to this man. But there was no holding back. Then, without warning, he slid a hand behind her knees and lifted her as if she were but a fluffy pillow.
Holding her next to his chest, he smiled at her then gently placed her on the bed.
She swallowed hard. This was happening and there was nothing she could do to stop it.
He laid down next to her. His legs along hers, his manhood next to her hip as he held her stare for a long moment before once again kissing her.
She felt herself melt into him. Oh, how she loved kissing him. Why couldn’t this be enough? Why couldn’t she just spend the rest of her life kissing this man?
Without thi
nking, she turned to pull him closer, her chest against his. Skin on skin, a new, wonderful sensation she realized. All right, this could be added to kissing as a lifelong task.
As their lips explored each other, his hand rested on her waist then slowly slid up to cup her breast. She gasped as his thumb ran on her nipple.
He smiled as he left her lips to take the nipple into his mouth.
“Oh, My, God,” she whispered as she threw her head back and basked in his attention to her. A fire began to burn deep down inside of her. A need, a calling that demanded to be satisfied.
He looked up for a brief second, smiling at her, the returned again to her breast.
Yes, this was heaven, she thought.
His hand continued to squeeze and gently caress as it wandered down over her stomach to come to rest at the crux of her legs, covering her sex.
Without thought, she spread her legs and gave him access to her very core. His touch. She needed him to touch her there. Every part of her being demanded it.
Slowly, his finger slid down over her folds, probing, parting, touching.
“Oh, Daniel,” she moaned as he found a special spot.
He pulled back from her breast to look into her eyes as his finger slowly entered her. She could not look away. It was as if she were his do with as he wished. And everything was for her benefit. As if he knew exactly how to drive her mad.
A second finger was slid into her and she gasped as her eyes rolled back. She was lost.
It seemed that his mouth and hands were everywhere at once. Caressing, teasing, tasting. Searching. All in an effort to drive her higher. To make her want him desperately and it was working to perfection.
“Please,” she moaned as she pulled at him. She could wait no longer. The fear had been replaced with a burning need that had to be answered.
He chuckled in the back of his throat, obviously pleased with himself, but she didn’t care. She needed him now. Her body demanded it. Her mind could work out the details later. Nothing else mattered but that he fill her with his seed.
Daniel smiled down at her as he positioned himself above her.
She took a deep breath and held it as she prepared herself.
Duke In Disguise (The Stafford Sisters Book 1) Page 11